They are STILL molting!???

[fishnet1971]

wow, my girls and 'Bird will be 2 this April. I have had/am having my first molt. I had one girls do the 'quick molt' after being broody last spring, it was really actually funny. This fall (late fall like Nov.) i started to see the tell tale signs, few feathers dropping, pms'ing attitude, egg numbers dropped, etc. four months later, of course its cold, crappy, snowy, it seems that they are really starting to molt. more feathers, wing feathers dropping, miserable girls! getting anywhere from 3 to 7 eggs per day out of my 9 possible layers (4 girls are this years not molting)

Is this normal to molt this time of year? I feel so bad for them. they sit outside all hunched up looking cold. I dont want to make them stay in their nice warm coop if they dont want to. They have the choice to stay in or go out.

Are they smart enough to know that when they are cold, to go inside? I like to think so, but it's cold out and they are out!!!!! well, unless it snows....

 

[Happy Chooks]

They will be fine and yes, they will go inside if they get chilled. The feathers grow back in pretty quickly. No need to worry.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Last month I'd have been thrilled to get 3 egg from 9 hens. We were getting 1 every other day from 5. Our 2 two year girls took 3 months to molt, one stopped laying all together for month and half. Our 3 new girls didn't start laying until near 10 months, still waiting on Mini too. Basically I'm saying: It can only get better for you in the egg department. And your girls are smart enough to come in out of the cold.

 

[fishnet1971]

Of course i didnt think of that when they started acting funky either. thought OMG... my girls are sick, worms, mites, etc. over 2 months.

that's when I was worried. Once i figured out what was up, i had to kinda just go with the flow. I really thought i might loose one or two of the girls there for a week or so. poor grumpy fluffy butts. yea, I am seeing the new feathers coming up finally. Guess I have slow molters. maybe i can find them some worms or stuff for some extra protein to help 'em out.